Focus on Technology

Brains to boost battery power

Ann Thompson — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:31:10 +0000

The rush is on for a better battery that will be smaller, hold more power, and charge faster. The Department of Energy announced a new partnership with this challenge: Invent batteries that are five times more powerful and one fifth the price in just five years. The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research or JCESR will gather brain power from five national labs, five universities and industry. Ann Thompson, in "Focus on Technology," reports on what kind of battery you can expect in electronic devices and cars and when.

Blood could tell how long brain tumor patients have and how well their treatment is working

Ann Thompson — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:31:10 +0000

The Holy Grail in the brain tumor field, according to Mayfield Clinic neurosurgeon Dr. Ron Warnick, would be a non-invasive test allowing personalized therapy, a way to reliably distinguish if the tumor has grown back, and the ability to make a very specific prognosis. This blood test is still in the research stage. WVXU's Ann Thompson, in "Focus on Technology," reports how it would work and the hope that it carries.

Newts may hold the key to human regeneration

Ann Thompson — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:31:10 +0000

Newts have the amazing distinction of being able to regenerate almost any body part. University of Dayton Biology Professor Panagiotis Tsonis does not know exactly why they do it or how they do it, only that they can do it. He wonders if the human body, where regeneration genes have apparently been silenced, can be turned back on. Tsonis thinks studying the newt's eye lens is the key and is involved in a research project now to learn more. Ann Thompson reports in "Focus on Technology."

A possible cure for "bubble boy"

Ann Thompson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:31:10 +0000

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital are optimistic after their treatment appears to be working on a toddler born without an immune system. Jameson Golliday, who has "Bubble Boy Syndrome," is out of the hospital and now at home in a sterile environment while his white blood cells generate completely. Ann Thompson, in "Focus on Technology," explains the treatment that could eventually be the standard of care for this very rare and serious disease.

Data Scientist: the sexiest job of the 21st century

Ann Thompson — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:31:10 +0000

One sure way to get a job these days is to be a "Big Data" specialist. These are the people who can interpret massive amounts of information and tell businesses how to use it to make money. It's a very specialized set of skills involving computer science, business and statistics. The Harvard Business Review says the dominant trait among data scientists is an intense curiosity. WVXU's Ann Thompson, in Focus on Technology, reports what it takes to be one and about NKU's efforts to begin a new Bachelor's Degree in Data Science this fall.